Career and Education Opportunities for Aircraft Parts Assemblers in Tempe, Arizona

Aircraft parts assemblers can find many career and educational opportunities in the Tempe, Arizona area. Currently, 1,160 people work as aircraft parts assemblers in Arizona. This is expected to grow 24% to 1,440 people by 2016. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for aircraft parts assemblers are expected to grow by about 9.4%. Aircraft parts assemblers generally assemble, fit, and install parts of airplanes, space vehicles, or missiles, such as tails, wings, fuselage, bulkheads, stabilizers, landing gear, rigging and control equipment, or heating and ventilating systems.

The income of an aircraft parts assembler is about $20 hourly or $42,830 annually on average in Arizona. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $21 hourly or $44,130 yearly on average.

There are seventy-six schools of higher education in the Tempe area, including one within twenty-five miles of Tempe where you can get a degree to start your career as an aircraft parts assembler. Aircraft parts assemblers usually hold a high school diploma or GED, so you can expect to spend only a short time training to become an aircraft parts assembler if you already have a high school diploma.

Aircraft parts assemblers attach brackets or clips to secure components, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding. They also read and interpret blueprints, illustrations, and specifications to establish layouts, sequences of operations, or identities and relationships of components. Equally important, aircraft parts assemblers have to align and install system components, using jigs, fixtures, measuring instruments, hand tools, and power tools. They are often called upon to assemble and connect components, fittings, and assemblies on aircraft, using layout tools and fasteners such as bolts and clamps. They are expected to cut and smooth components, and verify sizes and fitting tolerances in order to insure proper fit and clearance of components. Finally, aircraft parts assemblers position and align subassemblies in jigs or fixtures, using measuring instruments and following blueprint lines and index points.

Every day, aircraft parts assemblers are expected to be able to visualize how things come together and can be organized. They need to prioritize information for further consideration. It is also important that they twist and stretch their arms and legs to get work done.

It is important for aircraft parts assemblers to lay out and mark reference points and locations for installation of components and components, using jigs, templates, and measuring and marking instruments. They are often called upon to assemble and fit prefabricated components to fashion subassemblies. They also fit and fasten sheet metal coverings to surface areas and other sections of aircraft before welding or riveting. They are sometimes expected to clean and/or coat system components as needed before assembling and attaching them. Somewhat less frequently, aircraft parts assemblers are also expected to assemble and fit prefabricated components to fashion subassemblies.

They also have to be able to inspect and test installed units and assemblies for fit and adherence to standards, using measuring instruments and test equipment And finally, they sometimes have to form loops or splices in cables, using clamps and fittings, or reweave cable strands.

Like many other jobs, aircraft parts assemblers must have exceptional integrity and be thorough and dependable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Tempe include:

Layout Technician. Lay out reference points and dimensions on metal or plastic stock or workpieces, such as sheets, plates, or machine parts, for further processing. Includes shipfitters.

Machinist. Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, shop mathematics, and machining procedures.

Tool and Die Maker. Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, and machinists' hand tools.

Welder. Use hand-welding or flame-cutting equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Aircraft Parts Assembler Training

Chandler/Gilbert Community College - Chandler, AZ

Chandler/Gilbert Community College, 2626 E Pecos Rd, Chandler, AZ 85225-2499. Chandler/Gilbert Community College is a large college located in Chandler, Arizona. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 10,409 students. Chandler/Gilbert Community College has 2 areas of study related to Aircraft Parts Assembler. They are:

Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician, one to two year which graduated 31 students in 2008.

Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician, one to two year which graduated 47 students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Tempe, Arizona

Tempe, Arizona photo by File Upload Bot

Tempe is situated in Maricopa County, Arizona. It has a population of over 175,523, which has grown by 10.7% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Tempe, 95, is below the national average. New single-family homes in Tempe cost $163,900 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, sixty-three new homes were constructed in Tempe, down from one hundred seven the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Tempe are educational services, accommodation and food services, and health care. For men, it is accommodation and food services, educational services, and construction. The average commute to work is about 20 minutes. More than 39.6% of Tempe residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 14.6%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Tempe is 7.5%, which is less than Arizona's average of 9.3%.

The percentage of Tempe residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 39.7%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Tempe is home to the Casa Fiesta Travel Trailer Resort and the Fair Lanes Village Center as well as Birchett Park and Hudson Park. Shopping malls in the area include Arizona Mall of Tempe, Arizona Mills Mall and Baseline Village Shopping Center. Visitors to Tempe can choose from Motel 6, Executive Suites Extended Stay and Best Western Nova Plus Test Property for temporary stays in the area.